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In this Article I would like to get the views from many individuals on who they think is the supreme god. Here is some of the answers from the survey.
A young man: Jesus Christ, because he is the son of God.
Amritlal: Vishnu and Shiva
Another Amritlal: Lord Krishna, because Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita say so, because of sastric evidence.
Jagdish: Lord Shiva, because he is easily pleased.
Mataji: Rama, Vishnu, Krishna
Nagin: It is Difficult to say.
Hasmal: Brahma, because he is the creator of the universe
An old Mataji: All are one!
Surati: Krishna, because sastric evidence proves he is god.
Kanti: Sathya Sai, because if God exists he should be present.
Tamal Krishna Goswami: But we are all present also
Kanti: he can manifest gold, and cure diseases like cancer the hospitals can not.
Tamal Krishna Goswami: Can he cure death? People are dying all the time.
So after hearing from many people their conception on who is the supreme, I will now use the facts established in the sastras as to who is ultimately the supreme.
Lord Shiva
Brahma-Samhita, text 45
ksiram yatha dadhi vikara-visesa-yogat
sanjayate na hi tatah prthag asti hetoh
yah sambhutam api tatha samupaiti karyad
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
TRANSLATION
Just as milk is transformed into curd by the action of acids, but yet the effect curd is neither same as, nor different from, its cause, viz., milk, so I adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whom the state of Sambhu [lord Shiva] is a transformation for the performance of the work of destruction.
In this verse lord Brahma Declares how lord Shiva is an expansion of lord Krishna for the sole purpose of destruction, and lord Brahma be the first of the twelve mahajanas is qualified for being in full spiritual knowledge to state it as such.
Also lord Shiva is known as Rudra, because he has taken his birth from between Lord Brahma’s eyebrows in a moment of anger.
Lord Shiva is also one of the three guna avatars.
Sattva guna – Vishnu – Goodness
Rajo guna – Brahma – Passion
Tamo guna – Shiva – ignorance
Shiva is also known as param vaisnava meaning the best of devotees, Lord Shiva is the devotee of lord Shiva and he continuously chants Krishna’s names on a japa mala.
Lord Shiva’s nature of ashutosh – easily pleased – this is a good quality if you are after material benedictions, for you can easily get it with lord Shiva, one of Shiva’s greatest devotees is Ravana the demon king of lanka, the city of gold. However Lord Shiva just represents a part of the power of god and therefore all his actions are first sanctioned by lord Krishna first. So all the benedictions you may receive are actually coming from lord Krishna.
[BG 7-21]
sa tayä sraddhayä yuktas
tasyärädhanam ihate
labhate ca tatah kämän
mayaiva vihitän hi tän
TRANSLATION
Endowed with such a faith, he seeks favors of a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone.
By this verse it is made clear that though we can worship any demigod for a particular desire, when our wishes are granted it is only because of Krishna’s sanction.
[BG 14-4] aham bija-pradah pita
Krishna says, “I am the Seed Giving father”
Laxmi
Laxmi is described as chanchala (moves quickly) and she is usually worshipped for wealth. However she is in the service of luxminatha (the lord of Laxmi) who in actuality is lord Narayana, so Laxmi is always present with Narayana. So if one worships lord Narayana, automatically Laxmi gives up her chanchala nature.
Brahma-Samhita TEXT 29
cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksalaksavrtesu
surabhir abhipalayantam
laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
TRANSLATION
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by Hundreds of thousands of laksmis or gopis.
Lord Brahma
Lord Brahma was born from the lotus that sprung from the navel of maha Vishnu. Therefore lord Vishnu is his father, lord Brahma is deemed as being the creator of the universe, but technically he is the engineer of the universe, maha Vishnu already created the elements for creation, Brahma’s job is to engineer them into the universe.
Lord Brahma’s one day comprises of a thousand kalpas, one kalpa on earth is a complete cycle of the four ages, Brahma lives for an entirety of one hundred of his years which is equal to a single breath of Maha Vishnu.
Lord Brahma is a jivatma which means that anyone of us can one day also become a Brahma because even Brahma is mortal.
Arjuna Says to Lord Krishna:
[BG 11-37]
kasmäc ca te na nameran mahätman
gariyase brahmano ’py ädi-kartre
ananta devesa jagan-niväsa
tvam aksaram sad-asat tat param yat
TRANSLATION
O great one, who stands above even Brahmä, You are the original master. Why should they not offer their homage up to You, O limitless one? O refuge of the universe, You are the invincible source, the cause of all causes, transcendental to this material manifestation.
Lord Vishnu
There are three Vishnu’s all are a part and parcel of Krishna, expanded for the creation of the universes, then expanded within each of these universes, and also expanded as the Paramätmä within everyone’s heart.
- Maha Vishnu – is the expansion of the four armed lord in Vaikuntha known as Sankarsana, Sankarsana is a plenary portion of lord Balarama in Goloka, who is Krishna’s direct expansion, and Maha Vishnu is from whom a single exhale creates hundreds and thousands of universes and a single inhale destroys them in this way .
- Garbodaksayi Vishnu – This is the expansion of maha Vishnu within every universe.
- Ksirodaksayi Vishnu – also known as the Paramätmä is the expansion of Garbodaksayi Vishnu within the hearts of every living entity in the universe.
(Brahma-Samhita text 46)
diparcir eva hi dasantaram abhyupetya
dipayate vivrta-hetu-samana-dharma
yas tadrg eva hi ca visnutaya vibhati
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
TRANSLATION
The light of one candle being communicated to other candles, although it burns separately in them, is the same in its quality. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda who exhibits Himself equally in the same mobile manner in His various manifestations.
JESUS CHRIST
In Christianity, though it is widely believed that Christ is the son of god, there are a few sects that believe that Christ is God. However Christ thought everyone Love of God, his father.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
By this verse we can clearly see, that Jesus is speaking of his Father (God) and not of himself, for he does not say “Hallowed be my name”.
Christ is respected as being a Spiritual Guru in both Hinduism and Islam and is mentioned as being a pure devotee of the lord. Disciplic Succession was also advised in the bible by the verse “no man cometh unto the father except by the path of the son” in this verse, the word “son” does not refer to Jesus alone; however it refers to the Teacher of that time. The “Guru” for any qualified teacher is the son of god; we are all gods’ children.
LORD RAMA
Lord Rama is an avatara (incarnation) of God, and Krishna is known as avatari – the source of all avataras.
[BG 7-7]
mattah parataram nänyat
kincid asti dhananjaya
mayi sarvam idam protam
sütre mani-ganä iva
TRANSLATION
O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.
Who else but the Original Supreme Personality can say this? No one.
Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 10, Text 8
aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam
budha bhava-samanvitah
TRANSLATION
“I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.”
PURPORT
By this offering of obeisances, Arjuna indicates that Krishna is worshipable by everyone. He is all-pervading, and He is the Soul of every soul. Arjuna is addressing Krishna as mahätmä, which means that He is most magnanimous and unlimited. Ananta indicates that there is nothing which is not covered by the influence and energy of the Supreme Lord, and devesa means that He is the controller of all demigods and is above them all. He is the center of the whole universe. Arjuna also thought that it was fitting that all the perfect living entities and all powerful demigods offer their respectful obeisances unto Him because no one is greater than Him. He especially mentions that Krishna is greater than Brahmä because Brahmä is created by Him. Brahmä is born out of the lotus stem grown from the navel abdomen of Garbhodakasäyi Viñsu, who is Krishna’s plenary expansion; therefore Brahmä and Lord siva, who is born of Brahmä, and all other demigods must offer their respectful obeisances. Thus the Lord is respected by Lord siva and Brahmä and similar other demigods. The word aksaram is very significant because this material creation is subject to destruction, but the Lord is above this material creation. He is the cause of all causes, and being so, He is superior to all the conditioned souls within this material nature as well as the material cosmic manifestation itself. He is therefore the all-great Supreme.
Krishna Stu Bhagavana Svayam
July 14, 2008 at 6:10 am
Priya Atmiya,
You have quoted selectively only those parts that glorify Lord Hari as supreme. But you fail to quote those parts that glorify Lord Shiva as supreme. If you read Devi bhagwatam, you will find Shri Durga as supreme and Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma hailing her as Supreme energy. So its not objective writing really.
However, due to one’s attachment and bhakti, one can worship one form of God as supreme and attain the ultimate goal this way. It is alright and a delight.
HariHaraya Namah.